Ko Samet is part of Khao Laem Ya - Ko Samet National Park, which encompasses Khao Laem Ya on the mainland, as well as various islands in the region. Despite its national park status all of Ko Samet's beaches have been developed -- the only way you'd know you're on a national park is via the entry fee charged to all visitors. Many who come looking for an island paradise complain that the island has been ruined -- tacky resorts crowd the best beaches, and trash sometimes spoils the landscape. Nevertheless, Ko Samet retains enough beauty and appeal to win over a regular stream of return visitors.

As Ko Samet misses most of the heavy monsoon that plagues other islands, the weather is guaranteed to be pleasant at almost any time of year. And though the beaches have been overdeveloped, they still manage to be beautiful, with sparkling white sand curving between coconut palms and clear cerulean water. If you can get past the fact that this should be a national park, you'll find Ko Samet to be a traveller's paradise of magnificent beaches, delicious seafood and dozens of choices for nightlife.

Where you choose to stay on Ko Samet depends largely on what your ideal scene is. The east coast is the most popular, as it's dotted with sandy beaches, coves and most of the island's restaurants, bars and accommodation. The tiny west coast beach is more secluded and upscale, with only three top-end resorts to choose from. Though the nightlife on the west coast is fairly limited, the resort bars see a fairly good crowd coming to watch the sunset over the water. The north is Ko Samet's quietest coast, with just a few small guesthouses clinging to the rocky shoreline. A few upscale resorts dot the far end of this coast on the only strip of pleasing beach. While it's important to decide which coast is more to your taste when choosing where to stay, the island is only 6km long and 3km wide, so it isn't difficult to visit another area on a daytrip.

Getting There

Bus

One of the best things about Ko Samet is that it's reached easily and cheaply from Bangkok. Direct buses to the port town of Ban Phe leave the Ekkamai Eastern Bus Terminal in Bangkok every hour from 5:00 until 22:00. The fare is 163B, and takes about 3 and a half hours. Buses drop passengers in the centre of town, right across from the pier where you can catch your ferry to Ko Samet.

Boat

Boats leave from the pier throughout the day; there is ostensibly an hourly schedule, but since boats simply leave when full, it's not followed closely. The ferry costs 50B, and is a fairly comfortable half hour ride. The ferry will take you to Nadan Village on the North Coast of Ko Samet -- from there, it's a 20-30 baht pick-up taxi ride to anywhere on the island. The ferry only travels until 17:00 so if you're travelling later you'll need to charter a speedboat. The cost for this should be 1,000-1,200B, which can work out to be fairly affordable if you can get a group together, but can be pretty steep if you're travelling alone or in a pair (though its worth it avoid spending the night in Ban Phe). The speedboat will drop you off on whichever beach you'd like -- but be prepared to wade to shore.

As Ko Samet misses most of the heavy monsoon that plagues other islands, the weather is guaranteed to be pleasant at almost any time of year.